Iowa Snackshot: Bacon Jewelers

Perry, Iowa

Pork fat is forever.

Hot Doug's – One of Chicago's Premier Fine Art Institutions

On a recent trip to Chicago, I had the opportunity to visit a museum a bit off the beaten track. In fact, most people have the misconception that Hot Doug's is an eatery of sorts, but it holds one of the finest collections of HotDog Art in the Nation.



Frankfurter Gothic is the iconic American painting by Grant Food. It seems to depict the traditional gender roles of early American hot dog enthusiasts (men preferred their weenies with glasses, while women preferred theirs plain).



Many will argue that Dog of Man by Rene MagrEat is one of the most famous surrealist weiner pieces. It is often thought that the modern businessman is the son of Adam, while the hot dog represents caloric temptation.



Another MagrEat piece is The Seasoning of Images. Its famous inscription "Ceci n'est pas une hot-dog" (this is not a hot dog) is in fact not a contradiction. The painting is not a hot dog, but rather an image of a hot dog, which provokes a conversation on visual representation and food.



One of the most exciting pieces at the museum was one that I had never seen before: The Keira Knightley (formerly the Jennifer Garner and the Britney Spears). The red-hot combined with the onion and relish represents the combination of the masculine with the feminine. The sport peppers and tomatoes add a freshness to the piece that invokes the inevitability of aging. The dill pickle and celery salt represent the tangy, sour obstacles in life, while the mustard reminds us all of how expensive dry cleaning is. It truly was a masterpiece.



Unfortunately, the museum's special exhibit of french fries fried in duck fat is only available on Fridays and Saturdays, but the usual exhibit of hand cut fries was a delight nonetheless. On any trip to Hot Doug's your eyeballs and tastebuds are guaranteed unparalleled cultural stimulation.

Happy National Donut Day!!!

Since there aren't any Stan Mikita Donut Shops in NY, I recommend Doughnut Plant in the LES and Peter Pan Bakery in Greenpoint. Also, Krispy Kreme is giving out free donuts today in celebration of this magical holiday.

So, go out and channel your inner Homer Simpson. Mmmmm... deep fried goodness...

New York Snackshot: Kentucky Fried Guitars

Boerum Hill, Brooklyn

Deep Fried Guitars. To put on your guitar hero.

White Cheese Pizza with Ramps aka RAMPAGE!!!

It started as another spring day at the Prospect Park Greenmarket. The sun was out, the dogs were adorable, and the strollers were out in full force. All was right in the world. I just couldn't shake this weird feeling in my stomach, though. My legs started to shake. My hands started looking dry and scaly… and maybe a little green. There was an unmistakable odor of garlicky leeks in the air. No. It couldn't be. Not again.



OMGRAMPS!!!! (An abbreviation I also use when my grandpa tells a racy joke)

After punching a few buildings and eating some tourists, I ran home with my bounty. But what to do with these coveted veggies? A while back, I made an amazing leek and ricotta pizza with walnuts that I thought would be perfect for my precious ramps. Alas, my local cheesemonger was all out of ricotta. Then I remembered the old adage: Necessity breeds awesomeness.



Plus



Equals



Yum. At the time, I really didn't see what all the crazy fuss about ramps was, but their flavor finds its way into your taste memory and stays. I'm pretty sure this will be the last thing I taste before I die, and that makes me very, very happy.

White Cheese Pizza with Ramps (based on the recipe from April's Food & Wine)

Ingredients
Dough:
1/4 c. whole-wheat flour
3/4 c. all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. warm water

Topping:
10 ramps (or scallions or spring onions)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Water-packed fresh mozzarella, cut into thin 1/8 in. slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions
1) In a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix the flours, yeast, salt, and sugar. While the mixer is running, add the oil and water. Continue to knead on low speed until the dough is firm and smooth, about 10 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let stand in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

2) Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

3) Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Blanch the ramps until they are bright green, but still al dente, about 1 minute. They are going to smell insane. Drain, pat dry, and cut into 1-inch lengths.

4) Punch the dough (yes! violence!) and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough until it is about a 10-12 inch shape. You can roll it into a round shape, but I prefer my pizza to be sort of oval or rectangular, like a flatbread. It's, um, rustic or something. Brush the dough with olive oil, and place the mozzarella slices in an even layer. Scatter the blanched ramps on top and season lightly with salt and pepper. Finish with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

5) Bake on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper (or use a pizza stone if you have one) for about 8 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the crust is crisp and browned.

6) Stuff your face.

Rendangit!

There are times when I need a break from my constant diet of pork fat and beer. Times when I think, maybe cookies are a sometimes food.

Usually, I wash my deep-fried oreos down with some soy milk and feel a little better about myself, but recently, I've been trying to incorporate some actual nutrients into my diet. I've long been curious about cooking with tempeh, and when I saw this recipe for Tempeh Rendang in the March issue of Cooking Light, I was downright intrigued.

I took a quick trip to the Bangkok Center Grocery on Mosco Street in Chinatown to pick up some fresh lemongrass, galangal, thai chiles, and kaffir lime leaves. If you've never been to this tiny store, I highly recommend it for fresh and packaged Thai ingredients. It is pretty small, but jam packed with food, just like me.

Now, this was my first time working with tempeh, so I wasn't really sure which one I should purchase. I thought tempeh was tempeh; I didn't realize there were so many different varieties out there. Being overwhelmed and slightly panicked that I was not fact in the comforting candy aisle, I grabbed the Garden Veggie variety and ran for my life, before the vegetarians in the aisle smelled the pork in my blood. Next time I make this recipe, I definitely will not use the veggie tempeh. The carrot and celery seed flavor was a bit too overwhelming for the curry. I recommend using plain ol' soy tempeh so the flavors don't compete.

This dish smells insane. Every single ingredient is fragrant on its own, but together they form Voltron in your nose. The coconut milk reduces, so you're left with more of a stir-fry than a stew. Add a little jasmine rice, some cilantro for garnish, and voila.



The one unexpected downside to tempeh is that it apparently makes me burp. A lot. Fermented soybean burps. I felt like Charlie in Willy Wonka after drinking Fizzy Lifting Drinks and having to release gas in order to prevent being chopped to little pieces (the fuel for so many of my nightmares as a wee krys).

Again, I won't use the garden veggie tempeh next time, but this was a very good basic rendang recipe. I would definitely try it with soy tempeh or maybe some chicken. Mmmm. The plus side is that after two hours of burping, you're ready for more delicious curry action.

I'm Back and I'm Here to Stay

The last few months have been a bit work-heavy to say the least. Months of spreadsheets, emails, and business trips have a way of making you forget that the computer can be your friend, and not just a conduit for frustration and a test of patience. While I still eat out (a lot), cook (a lot), and take pictures (not as often, but still, kinda a lot), I just haven’t had the desire to put words to my experiences.

Work has been taking a lot out of me. To make a long story short, my department is relocating to a different city, and I was offered a position there. My hard work was being recognized, and it was an opportunity that I should have seriously considered, especially in this shaky economy. I was being asked to either give up my job or give up my home. I really love my job. I truly do. I take pride in the feeling that I am making a difference in the work that I do, and a great deal of my self-worth is based on this sense of accomplishment.

I’m not ready to leave yet.

I love my Brooklyn kitchen.



I don’t think there is any color in the color spectrum that is more comforting than the maroon of my kitchen walls.

I love Chinatown. I love reading descriptions of dishes like “Shrimp in Pumping Sauce.”



I love that a liquor store can claim to be AS OLD AS HILLS.



I love that you can get your candy, and then eat it inside Fat Baby.



I love that no matter what my day is like, there is always something here that makes me smile.

So my last day at my company is a few months away. I have no idea what I’m going to do next, and that doesn’t freak me out. I’ll figure it out. I’m just happy that I’m staying in New York.

An Elegy for Pies and Thighs

You can rest, your weary kitchen ever-giving
Delectable biscuits , chicken, and pies
Oh so tender, once you walked among the living
And now, your time has passed, My Pies and Thighs



Your biscuits and gravy where matched by no other
Your key-lime pie, mac & cheese, and your beans
were so good they made me want to slap my mother
And then go back for seconds for your collard greens



The line wrapped around the block, people came so far
To say goodbye, auf wiedersehen, adieu,
But cry not, oh hungry hipsters, cry not
For you will rise once more, serving chicken anew

People Who Live in Gingerbread Houses Should Not Throw Stones

I admit I grew up with some geeky tendencies. You are reading the blog of a girl who had near-complete sets of Marvel trading cards (1992-1994). Collecting all of the holograms was a bitch. Phoenix and the Scarlet Witch were my best friends, and not only could I gaze upon their expertly rendered visages, but I could also read interesting facts about them on the reverse sides. On a weird tangential note, I was always bothered that the cards measured not only speed and strength, but also intelligence. It bummed me out to know that Daredevil was less intelligent than the Silver Surfer. I mean come on! Daredevil went to law school! The Silver Surfer catches rad space waves! That just doesn't seem fair. Anyhoo, I would use these cards to enact make-believe scenarios while most girls were playing house with their Barbies. The only house I'm interested in playing with is Hugh Laurie. ME-OW.

One geeky thing I could never get into was model-building. I just couldn't see the point of spending so much time expertly replicating the Millennium Falcon and not even get to play with it afterwards. While I couldn't understand the motivation, I was always in awe of the dedication and craftsmanship. Because of this long-standing admiration to the craft of model-building, I ventured out this last holiday season to see the many gingerbread houses that New York had to offer.

One particularly cold and snowy weekend, I dragged Cue up to the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx for their Gingerbread Adventures exhibit. Five New York pastry chefs became honorary geeks for the holidays.

Ruth Seidler of JollyBe Bakery in Park Slope, Brooklyn scrapped the house idea altogether, and created a bird-themed stained glass bell.



Complete with a silver handle and (marzipan?) ribbon.



Mark Tasker of Balthazar created a true New York-style gingerbread house by replicating the Empire State Building.



I especially dig the use of props.



I wish I could get a better shot of the offering from Jill Adams of The Cake Studio, but alas, I lack the height. I just couldn't capture all of the animals and fairies that studded her gingerbread forest in one frame. Just check out the detail on that snake. That kind of steady hand can truly come in handy when putting the finishing touch on your Starship Enterprise replica.



Kate Sullivan of LovinSullivanCakes made a little something for all the sci-fi fans out there: a gingerbread house on the moon. The peppermint details were... out of this world? Heh....heh....heh. Yup. Sorry.



My personal favorite was the gingerbread castle from Kaye Hansen and Liv Hansen of Riveria Bakehouse.



Both mother and daughter share a crazy attention to detail. Just check out the shingles! Minty fresh!



Unfortunately, I couldn't spot too many gingerbread houses around the rest of the city, but I did see this gem over at the Chelsea Market.



Aw yeah.

As I previously mentioned, I lack the patience and motivation to make one of these confectionary creations, but I seeing all of those edible habitats made me crave that spicy gingerbread flavor. So, I went home and baked up a true New York classic: Claudia Fleming's Gingerbread from the Gramercy Tavern.



Instead of Guinness, I used McGovern's Oatmeal Stout, which added a lovely background note. This cake was insanely moist, and really spicy, but not all that great when eaten right out of the oven. It takes a day for the cake to really get its act together. While I may not make elaborate sculptures, I can dig gingerbread, the unofficial sweet treat of geeks everywhere, with the rest of them.